Chapter 9 - The Man Behind the Curtain
When the lights returned, Marcus was gone.
So was the metal case.
Roman's face became terrifyingly calm.
"Lock the building."
Too late.
Marcus had prepared an escape.
Harper replayed Jonathan's tape.
Her father had known.
Marcus had manipulated both families.
He had convinced Roman that Arthur controlled everything.
He had fed information to Daniel.
He had helped Isabella disappear.
And he had controlled the network while everyone blamed one another.
"He doesn't want money," Harper said.
Roman looked at her.
"Then what?"
"Control."
Connor nodded.
"That's why he never became public."
Harper looked at him.
"The person nobody sees can't be prosecuted."
They needed the case back.
But Harper realized Marcus had made one mistake.
The documents were originals.
Evidence mattered only if authenticated.
Her father had designed the structure.
"He'll need someone to validate them."
Roman understood.
"Margaret."
They rushed to federal custody.
Margaret was gone.
Transferred under an authorization signed by a federal supervisor.
The signature was forged.
Marcus had taken her.
Harper received a message.
COME TO THE HALSTON.
The same hotel.
The same ballroom.
The place where everything had begun.
Roman refused to let her enter without surveillance.
This time Harper didn't argue.
At midnight, the ballroom was empty.
Chandeliers dark except for one.
Marcus stood where Connor had humiliated Harper days earlier.
Margaret sat nearby.
"You learn quickly," Marcus said.
Harper approached.
"What do you want?"
"The trust."
"Bennett River Holdings?"
"Yes."
"You can have it."
Marcus smiled.
Roman's voice came through Harper's hidden earpiece.
Careful.
Harper continued.
"But you need my signature."
"Correct."
"And Roman's."
Marcus's smile faded.
Harper had changed the trust structure that morning.
Legally.
Roman was now co-trustee.
"You've made this unnecessarily difficult."
"I'm a litigator. It's practically a hobby."
Marcus laughed.
Then applauded.
"Jonathan would be proud."
"Don't say his name."
Marcus's expression hardened.
"He underestimated me too."
Harper heard the confession hidden inside the sentence.
"Did you kill him?"
Marcus smiled.
"Ask Daniel."
"I asked you."
A long pause.
"Yes."
Harper's heart stopped.
In her earpiece, Roman whispered, "We have it."
Recorded confession.
Marcus continued.
"He was going to destroy everything."
"So you destroyed him."
"I preserved an empire."
"No."
Harper looked around the empty ballroom.
"You preserved yourself."
Police entered.
Marcus grabbed Margaret.
Roman appeared from the opposite doors.
Marcus pressed a gun against Margaret's head.
"Back away."
Roman stopped.
Harper looked at her mother.
Margaret's eyes moved toward the floor.
A broken champagne glass.
Harper understood.
Margaret kicked it.
Marcus glanced down.
Roman moved.
The gun fired.
Harper screamed.
Roman tackled Marcus.
Agents swarmed them.
Margaret was unharmed.
The bullet had struck a marble column.
Marcus was arrested.
The nightmare should have ended.
But as agents dragged him away, Marcus looked at Harper.
"You still don't understand."
She stepped closer.
"What?"
"Connor wasn't working for me."
Harper looked at Connor.
He had arrived with investigators.
Marcus smiled.
"Ask him who paid the first two million."
Connor's face turned white.
Harper felt cold.
"Connor?"
He backed away.
Roman watched him.
Connor whispered, "I can explain."
Harper almost laughed.
"No. You can't."
"Harper—"
"Who paid you?"
Connor looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Someone stood there.
A woman.
Paige.
She was crying.
Connor whispered, "Her father."
Paige shook her head.
"No."
Connor looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Paige backed away.
"My father is dead."
Connor's expression broke.
"No, Paige."
The ballroom doors opened wider.
An older man stepped through.
Paige stared at him.
May you like
Her knees nearly collapsed.
Because the man walking toward them was the father she had buried eight years earlier.
